Humans have been inventing things for thousands of years. Many items we use daily were created long ago. Let’s explore the oldest known versions of everyday things!
Looking back, it’s fascinating to see when these items first appeared. You might be surprised how far back some of them go.
The Oldest Known Coin
The oldest coin is the Lydian stater, made of electrum (gold and silver mix). It was minted around 600 BC in Lydia, modern-day Turkey.
Discovered in Ephesus, a bustling trading center, it features a lion’s head and a punch mark on the reverse. While not the oldest monetary system, it’s the oldest coin. Mesopotamia used the shekel around 3000 BC, initially a weight measurement.
Before coins, commodity money like cowry shells was common in ancient cultures, including India.
The Oldest Shoe Ever Found
Humans have protected their feet for millennia. The oldest shoes, the “Areni-1 shoe,” were found in an Armenian cave. This 5,500-year-old leather shoe, discovered in 2008, is in great condition.
Only one shoe was found, preserved under sheep dung in cool, dry conditions. Containers with wheat, apricots, and barley were also nearby.
Grass inside the shoe might have been insulation or used to keep its shape. The Areni-1 shoe is a one-piece leather shoe with laces, similar to traditional Balkan Opanci shoes.
The Oldest Known Recipe For A Drink (Yes, It’s Beer)
Beer dates back to 10,000 BC in ancient Mesopotamia, with remnants found on pottery. The oldest written mention is in the Epic of Gilgamesh (3500-2500 BC). Sumerians had eight barley and eight wheat beer recipes.
An 1800 BC recipe, the Hymn to Ninkasi, honors the Sumerian goddess of beer. It was sung during brewing and taught to apprentices.
While modern brewing is easier, recipes haven’t changed much. Beer was a source of calories, hydration, and used in religious events. Some things never change!
The Oldest Recipe For Food
The oldest known food recipe is for nettle pudding, dating back to 6,000 BC, even older than beer!
All ingredients are still available, so you can make the world’s oldest dish. A research team in Cardiff uncovered the recipe through archaeological evidence, medieval records, and social history texts.
Here’s what you need:
- One bunch of sorrel
- One bunch of watercress
- One bunch of dandelion leaves
- Two bunches of young nettle leaves
- One bunch of chives
- One cup of barley flour
- One teaspoon of salt
Combine ingredients and secure in linen or muslin cloth. Boil for two hours, often with boar or venison. Slice and eat with barley bread. Enjoy a taste of history!
Oldest Musical Instrument
Music has been part of human culture for a long time. People have been making music for at least 42,000 years.
Several flutes were found in a German cave, one made from bird bone and another from mammoth ivory.
The flutes were found in Geissenkloesterle Cave, thought to be a key corridor for human and technological movement into central Europe around 40,000 to 45,000 years ago.
An earlier find by the same researchers was a 35,000-year-old flute carved from a vulture’s wing bone.
The Oldest Prosthetic Device
Humans have lost limbs forever. The oldest prosthetic device is a wooden and leather toe found in a tomb near Luxor, dating to around 1000 BC. It’s on display in the Cairo museum.
Analysis showed it belonged to a woman and had been refitted for comfort. Its craftsmanship suggests others in Egypt used them, but no others have been found from that time.
It likely provided a good range of motion, closely resembling the original toe’s function.
The Oldest (Reusable) Condom
Modern condoms are made of latex, leading some to think they’re new. However, condoms have a long history. The oldest known one dates to 1640.
Found in Lund, Sweden, it’s made from a pig intestine. Lambskin was a common material before latex and is still used for those with latex allergies.
An owner’s manual in Latin advised washing the condom in warm milk to prevent disease, revealing that its manufacturer knew it didn’t fully protect against STIs. Cave paintings in France suggest condoms existed as early as 11,000 BC!
The Oldest Recorded Tune
Music has been around for at least 42,000 years, but musical records are scarce. The oldest known piece is a fragment of musical notation on a 4,000-year-old Sumerian clay tablet, a hymn to ruler Lipit Ishtar.
The oldest complete piece is the “Hurrian Hymn No. 6,” praising the goddess Nikkal. Composed in cuneiform by the Hurrians in the 14th century BC, it includes musical notations for the lyre.
Though the original lyrics are partly concealed, they’ve been pieced together, allowing us to hear a 3,400-year-old song.
Oldest Map Ever Found
Most people use maps on their cellphones daily. The oldest known world map is the Imago Mundi, a Babylonian map from 500-700 BC.
Carved, it depicts Babylon at the center, surrounded by Assyria, Elam, and a “Salt Sea.” Cuneiform text describes local mythology.
The oldest geographic map is the Turin Papyrus Map, drawn by Amennakhte in ancient Egypt around 1150 BC, showing an area for a quarry expedition ordered by King Ramses IV.
The oldest surviving terrestrial globe, the Erdapfel, was made by Martin Behaim in 1492. It lacks the Americas and features exaggerated and mythical land masses.
The Oldest Phallus Known To Exist
While condoms might seem modern, artificial phalluses have been around longer. The oldest is a 30,000-year-old stone phallus.
Dubbed an “Ice-Age baton,” others have been found, including a fully intact one from Hohle Fels Cave in Germany, made of polished siltstone.
Another, dating to 4,000-6,000 BC, was carved from a stag antler, measuring 4.1 inches long and 0.78 inches in diameter. It served an obvious purpose, with “penile similarities.”
From ancient coins to prehistoric pleasure devices, our everyday items have surprisingly long histories! Understanding their origins enriches our appreciation for human ingenuity.
Leave a comment below sharing which discovery surprised you the most!
